Our new life
by lunalovegoodwrites
Summary: The friends have to deal with the struggles of a new life. Chandler and Monica dispute parenting views. Rachel and Ross still have problems trusting each other. Phoebe wants children but Mike does not. Joey is sick of his life but the one person he is falling for is the one person he can never be with...
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, I love Harry Potter but I'm also a big friends fan so here's my second story! Enjoy, Luna

"Do you wanna get some coffee?" Rachel asked as they walked slowly out of the now empty number 20.

"Where?" Chandler asked jokingly and everyone smiled. The group walked down the hall, Monica, Rachel, and Ross with their arms around each other's shoulders, Chandler in the front with the double baby carriage, and Joey and Phoebe holding hands in the middle. Joey helped Chandler carry the stroller down the stairs and they exited the building, walking across the street to _Central Perk_.

Gunther looked up, surprised as he saw them walking into the café. They sat themselves in their normal spots, four to the couch, two in the chairs, and the baby carriage next to them.

"This is weird." Monica remarked and sniffled a bit. Rachel put her arm around her friend and replied,

"It's not like we'll never see you again, we'll talk a lot and visit a lot." Ross and Phoebe nodded and Joey said, "And Chandler, if you meet any hot single girls, gimme a call, eh?" He grinned as Chandler frowned at him. "I'm sure that there will be an abundance of hot single women where we're going." He said sarcastically and Joey rolled his eyes.

They all ordered coffee and drank it, chatting until Monica looked at her watch and said sadly,

"We really have to go un-pack now, we'll see you later." They all hugged and the girls exchanged kisses on the cheeks. Monica and Chandler maneuvered the stroller up the two stairs in the café and gave their friends one last wave before they walked out onto the busy sidewalk. Chandler pointed to a blue minivan parked across the street and said,

"That's the car." Monica nodded and smiled. They walked up to the crosswalk, crossed, and walked back down to where their car was parked. Chandler unlocked it and Monica removed the twins from the stroller and put them each into a car seat. She strolled around the car, got into the passenger seat, and hooked in as her husband folded up the stroller and put it in the trunk. Chandler got into the driver's seat, buckled, and turned around to smile at the twins.

"Everyone hooked in?" he asked and Jack gurgled. Chandler laughed and started the ignition. He pulled the car around a corner and was soon driving quickly on N FDR Dr. They drove on the high way for about forty minutes before taking the Westchester County exit and pulling into a neighborhood. They drove for about five more minutes before turning onto N Fulton Avenue and locating their home. The moving truck was there and some of the family's furniture was being carried out of the truck and into the home by burly workers.

Chandler parked in the driveway. Monica exited the car and took the twins out of their seats. Her husband walked over to the men and started helping them carry the boxes inside. Monica walked inside and smiled at the large bay windows in the front rooms. She sat down on the plush white couch and leaned back, smiling with Erica in one arm and Jack in the other. All of a sudden the door shut with a snap and Chandler walked into the living room, two sets of house keys in his hand.

"That's all of the boxes." He said and kissed his wife as he sat down next to her. The cloudy skies rumbled menacingly outside and Jack began to fuss. Monica handed the twins to Chandler and he rocked them as she stood up and looked around the room critically.

"You're going to start arranging right now, aren't you?" he grinned and she looked at him and nodded, also smiling. Chandler stood up as she straightened the couch and pulled two end tables around for either end of the couch. She placed a lamp on one and the home phone on the other. Monica pulled out pillows and a blanket and draped them over the couch. Chandler watched as she continued to flatten a rug on the floor, put the coffee table over it, pulled her grandmothers chest of drawers over and put the TV on top of it.

He offered to help but she refused as the heavens opened up outside and a torrential downpour fell from the sky. He simply watched as she decorated and arranged all of the first floor rooms, including the dining room, kitchen, closet and first floor bathroom.

"Wow that was hard." Monica said tiredly as she plopped down onto the couch.

"Well, you did decorate an entire floor of a house in about two hours." Chandler remarked, impressed.

She nodded and replied,

"Could you order a pizza for dinner, I'm starving." He said okay and handed her the twins. He went into the kitchen and sat down at the small table in there, dialing the number of a local pizza place. Monica rocked the twins in the other room and turned the TV on to a baseball game. As Chandler walked back into the living room Monica looked up at him and asked,

"Can you carry the cribs to the twins' room please? They need beds for tonight." He nodded and carried the cribs and the remaining boxes to the second floor. When he returned to the first floor the doorbell rang and a very wet teenage boy dressed in a red shirt held out a box to Chandler. He took it, paid the boy, and closed the door as Monica put out plates and sat Erica and Jack in their high chairs.

They ate the pizza and happily and Chandler did the dishes as Monica lay on the couch lazily. The twins slumbered in their upstairs bedroom and the rain pounded on the roof. It was a cozy day with late May winds and the melancholy start to a new life.


	2. Chapter 2

(Monday)

Chandler

Chandler opened his eyes blearily as one of the twins began to shriek and a roll of thunder passed over the home. Monica patted his arm and got out of bed, she walked down the hall to soothe the crying child. Chandler looked over at the clock which read, 5:04. He sighed and got up, opening the curtains to a pre-sunrise light. The rain lashed the windows and the house creaked a bit as the wind buffeted it, Chandler was amazed that the twins had slept through the night. He moved to the closet and got out some slacks and a blue collar shirt.

Chandler had to ride a train for forty minutes to get back into the city and had to ride the subway for twenty more to get to his office so, he left the house at six thirty every weekday morning. Chandler pulled on some black socks and tied his tie as Monica walked back into the bedroom.

"Don't you think that you're a bit overdressed for five A.M.?" She yawned and fell back onto the soft comforter. Chandler managed a smile and replied,

"I have to leave soon, there's a wreck on the tracks into the city, and everything is backed up." Monica nodded. "Anyway, I've been up all night worrying about the WENIS." She smiled and said,

"You don't use the WENIS."

"I know, I just wanted to say it for old time's sake." He told her and grinned again. The sky outside had darkened even more and Monica glared at the windows. Chandler kissed her and said,

"Go back to sleep, you need it." She nodded and pulled the blankets back over herself. He left the room quietly and tiptoed down the hall into the twin's room. He peeked over each of their cribs and whispered goodbye before walking back towards the hall and closing the door behind him. He went downstairs, made some cereal for himself and left the house an hour later. He walked to the train station with an umbrella that did not protect him from the rain at all and got on the six twenty two train.

Joey

"Hey, how you doin'? Joey asked the blonde woman at the coffeehouse. She rolled her eyes and walked out the door with her coffee, leaving Joey looking disappointed. Phoebe was sitting on the couch and she turned around to look at Joey.

"You could try a different pick up line." She said but he shook his head.

"I'm just not feeling it anymore. It's almost like my brain is telling me I'm cheating for some reason." He said and sat down next to her. "That's stupid though, I haven't had a girlfriend in ages…" Phoebe nodded and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and felt a sudden throb in his heart. Joey cleared his throat and got up.

"I've got to go, biiiig audition today, bye." He told her in a high-pitched voice and practically ran out of the coffee house.

Monica

"Shhh." Monica consoled the crying Erica and rocked her back and forth. The rain was still pounding the house and all of a sudden the doorbell rang. Monica put the twins into their cribs and walked down the stairs, opening the door to a soaking wet woman.

"Hi, I'm Lisa." She said in a high voice and handed Monica a pan covered in tinfoil. Monica opened the door a little wider and stepped back as Lisa walked into their home. The young woman oohed as she walked into the living room and remarked,

"I love your furniture." Monica thanked her and they went to sit down in the kitchen. Lisa explained to Monica that she was newly divorced and had a young child in kindergarten. Her husband was an alcoholic and she had one the custody battle for their child. Monica sighed and said,

"That must be really hard for you." Lisa nodded and Monica heard the twins crying again. She dashed up the stairs and brought the twins down, one in each arm.

"They're darling!" Lisa exclaimed as Monica settled them in their baby seats and gave them each a toy. She smiled and they resumed talking as the twins played with their toys.

Phoebe

She looked around, confused as Joey rushed out of the coffee house. _What did I do?_ She thought sadly to herself but pushed it away when Mike came through the door.

"Hey hon." He said and kissed her.

"Hi." Phoebe replied and smiled a bit. She handed him a coffee and he said,

"You seem upset…" She shook her head.

"I'm fine." She lied and sipped her coffee loudly. Mike shrugged and picked up the newspaper on the table. Phoebe sat and pondered, _Is he mad at me?_ She kneaded her forehead with her knuckles and got up.

"I've gotta go." She said and brushed Mike's shoulder with her hand before walking out of the coffee shop. She opened her umbrella in the downpour and stepped out into it.

Rachel

"Hee Hee Ross!" Rachel giggled as he came up from behind and hugged her. She turned around and saw him, his black hair plastered to his forehead, his clothes rumpled and wet.

"You walked in the rain for me?" she asked and kissed him lightly.

"Yeah." He replied sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up. They kissed for a little longer before some coughed behind them. Rachel and Ross slowly looked up and pushed away from each other when they saw Rachel's boss staring at them.

"I'll see you at lunch." He said and kissed her one last time before going to the elevators.

"I'm glad that you have a boyfriend, but-" her boss began but Rachel cut her off.

"I know, keep it out of the workplace." She said and her boss nodded. Rachel turned back to her files and rolled her eyes, pushing a folder into place.

Joey

He walked until he couldn't walk anymore and sat down on the ground in a small alleyway. He was so wet that the puddle under his butt didn't bother him at all. Joey sat and listened, just listened, to the cars, the people, the pounding rain, all of the familiar sounds. He didn't want to deal with anything unfamiliar at that moment. Suddenly, a pair of yellow boots ran past his alley, backtracked, and planted themselves in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, frowning at him sitting in the mud. He shrugged and stood up, suddenly, he grabbed her and kissed her, pressing her against the wall.


End file.
